SIGNATURES FOR THE FIRST FLOATING CITY ON PLANET FALL
A historic agreement has been signed to build the world’s first sustainable floating city; the South Korean city of Busan, UN-Habitat and OCEANIX have signed off on a project off the coast of the 3.4 million South Korean city. , reports ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ. Designed by the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), the ambitious project was first introduced two years ago and envisions a city of hexagonal platforms that will be resilient to natural disasters such as floods, tsunamis and hurricanes. “Sustainable floating cities are part of the arsenal of climate change strategies we have available. Instead of fighting water, let’s live in harmony with it. “Through the idea of a floating city, we look forward to evolving climate-based and nature-based solutions, and the ideal choice for the prototype is Busan,” said Maimunah Mohd Sharif, executive director of UN-Habitat.
About 40% of the Earth’s population lives within 100 kilometers of the coast, while sea levels rise. “With the complex changes that coastal cities are facing, we need a new vision in which it is possible for the world, nature and technology to coexist. “There is no better place than Busan to take the first step towards sustainable settlements in the ocean,” said Busan Mayor Park heong-joon. “Rising sea levels are a formidable threat, but sustainable floating infrastructure can help resolve this impending disaster. “We are excited to be writing history with Busan and UN-Habitat announcing the next frontier of humanity,” said OCEANIX co-founders Itai Madamombe and Marc Collins Chen.
In 2019, introducing the project, Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG, said: “Cumulative architecture can grow, transform and adapt organically over the years, evolving from a neighborhood of 300 inhabitants to a city of 10,000 – with the possibility of escalating indefinitely to offer thriving maritime communities for people who care about each other and our planet ”(https://www.instagram.com/p/CW8gLTIM9p3/).